Cover Letter For Software Qa Engineer Interview

To be the successful job candidate for quality assurance jobs, it helps to have a comprehensive resume, says resume expert Kim Isaacs. This sample resume that she created below for a senior QA tester can give you some ideas. You can also download the experienced QA software tester resume template in Word. And if you need more help, get a free resume evaluation today from the experts at Monster's Resume Writing Service.

Senior Software Quality Assurance Tester, 4/12 to Present Serve as a key member of software development team as the lead QA tester on development projects for government, DoD and transportation industry clients. Supervise a five-member software QA testing team in developing and implementing quality-assurance and quality-control methodologies to ensure compliance with QA standards, federal regulations and customer specifications. Results:

Created and executed automated software test plans, cases and scripts to uncover, identify and document software problems and their causes. Led QA testing that:

Pinpointed previously undiscovered flaw in new DoD missile-detection system prototype, resulting in formal commendation letter from the DoD.

Identified the root cause of intermittent interoperability glitch in air-traffic control software, leading to a no-fault audit finding.

Transitioned software development efforts to a test-driven development (TDD) process, which brought QA testing in on the front-end of the development cycle for gains in code quality, software functionality and programmer productivity.

Conducted formal and informal product design reviews throughout the software development lifecycle to provide input on functional requirements, product designs, schedules and potential issues. Leveraged developer background to communicate effectively with software design team, quickly gaining their respect and becoming a valued, “go-to” team member on challenging test cases.

Created company’s first comprehensive database of documented test defects and procedures to enable accurate replication and ensure compliance with standards. Accelerated average QA testing turn-around time by 25% or more, allowing company to accept more testing projects without increasing staff.

Software Developer, 8/02 to 8/04 Worked on teams developing state-of-the-art software for mobile devices, including the #3 selling GPS solution in the US (2003). Analyzed business requirements, conducted gap analysis, estimated project scope and worked closely with fellow developers to deliver high-quality software solutions using Java, C#, VBScript, SQL and other technologies.

123 COMPANY — Sometown, WANationwide software development company.

User-Acceptance Testing Specialist (contract/part time), 6/00 to 6/02 Assisted with user-acceptance testing and defect tracking for three new software releases. Offered full-time UAT position after graduating from college (respectfully declined to accept software developer job).

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List of Software Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer Skills

A software quality assurance engineer monitors every phase of the software development process and ensures that the design and software adhere to company standards.

Software delays are costly for a company, so it is vital for software releases to meet target dates and stay within budget. A software quality assurance engineer helps meet release deadlines by breaking up the development process into attainable testing goals and relaying any issues back to the development and product teams or leaders.

Jobs for Software Quality Engineers

Software quality engineers work in a variety of fields. You may find them:

Assessing whether an airplane's control system meets required performance standards.

Designing a plan to test potential human errors in an automated system for drug delivery.

Using tools to track software bugs.

Making sure a video game won't crash just when you're about to take out the bad guy.

How to Become a Software Quality Assurance Engineer

While there is no license or certification required, getting a job in the field usually requires at least a bachelor’s degree in software design or engineering computer science, as well as prior practical experience. It sounds like a catch-22; you need experience to get a job. The way out of the impasse is to work a series of internships while in school. It is also important to remain up-to-date in the current trends and latest advancements in the field.

The state of the art in computer programming can change rapidly.

Top Software Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer Skills

A software quality assurance engineer must have strong skills in a variety of categories: engineering and technology, math and science, verbal and written communication, problems solving, reasoning and logic, and practical skills like exceptional documentation and time management.

Working experience in software development and software quality assurance

Knowledge of the current trends and latest advancements.

Technical SkillsOf course, to be a software quality assurance engineer, you have to thoroughly understand the software you are working with, as well as any number of related tools. Which programming languages, tools, and techniques you have to know may change rapidly; an online list is likely to get out of date quickly. If you are ready to work in the field, you’ll know how to find out what’s current, and have top-notch technical skills.

Analytical SkillsIt is not enough to know how the software works. To figure out what’s wrong when it does not work, you must be a creative, insightful, and rational thinker. Some people are naturally better at these types of thinking than others, but fortunately, it is possible to improve your analytical skills with practice.

Communication SkillsClear and accurate written and verbal communication is a must, but a quality software assurance engineer must also have more than a little tact.

Consider that your job will be to tell other professionals that they have done something wrong, that the program or app they’ve put time, money, and emotion into doesn’t work right. That’s something nobody wants to hear.

Ability to Work on a TeamYou may or may not be the only software quality assurance engineer at your company, but you will be working with other programmers and members of other departments. You will have to understand their goals and objectives and, in some cases, explain problems and necessary solutions and adjusted timelines to people who don’t have any specialized knowledge of software.

Time Management SkillsPart of working on a team means working with other people’s timelines and finishing your work in a reasonable amount of time. Since you don’t know when a problem might arise, keeping on schedule takes strong time management skills.

List of Skills

Here's a comprehensive list of software quality assurance engineer skills for resumes, cover letters, job applications and interviews. Required skills will vary based on the job for which you're applying, so also review our list of skills listed by job and type of skill.